


Morning Star

by transfixme_quite



Series: Salt Of The Earth [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Past Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Porn With Plot, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 17:17:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7472682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transfixme_quite/pseuds/transfixme_quite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire had been going to the same local coffee shop at 7am every morning for the last two years. For the last three weeks, however, she'd seen the same blond man sitting in the same chair up against the wall opposite the coffee bar, in a tight t-shirt and sweatpants, with his sketchbook and a cup of black tea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Morning Star

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by three photographs of [Rosario Dawson and Chris Evans at some event](http://fireraineddown.tumblr.com/post/146617003240/scififreak35-fuckyeah-chrisevans-chris-evans). My brain just runs away with things sometimes.

Claire had been going to the same local coffee shop at 7am every morning for the last two years. Her shifts at the hospital varied, but whether she was headed in or headed out, she was always there right on time. It was her moment of escape from the hectic life of a nurse, time that was hers and hers alone.

For the last three weeks, however, she'd seen the same blond man sitting in the same chair up against the wall opposite the coffee bar, in a tight t-shirt and sweatpants, with his sketchbook and a cup of black tea. Claire was really good at observing multiple things at a quick glance, so that she didn't bring attention to herself, or seem like she was being nosy. She was glad her favourite coffee place had found another regular. Things were usually quiet and calm that early in the morning, as quiet as Hell's Kitchen could be, and his presence didn't disturb her.

She ordered her wake up usual, golden roast black with a splash of almond milk, and took out her phone to look busy. She angled herself so that she could glance at the man without being obvious. She'd always noticed him, and noted his routine, but never really got a good look at him, and today's glance had her realising he might be cute. So she looked again.

He was already looking at her. She smiled brightly, and he returned the smile, his ears turning red, and he looked back to his sketchbook. _-Wow that's adorable.-_ She thought to herself, unable to wipe the smile from her face. _-He's adorable...-_

Her drink arrived, and she took a sip, the warmth hitting the spot. She let out a quiet noise of delight, lost in the simple flavour, and closed her eyes if only for a moment, so that nothing existed except the taste on her tongue. She heard the sound of shifting fabric. With a raised eyebrow, she carefully looked back at the man, who was already averting his gaze from her. _-Oh no...-_ She thought. He cleared his throat, and focused intently back on his sketchbook.

"Morning." She spoke, and the man looked up. He very nearly looked around to see who she was talking to, she could tell, but at that time of morning, they were the only ones in there sitting. Any other customer was just a quick in and out.

"Morning..." He said, finally holding her gaze. He gave her a half smile that almost would have looked sleepy if it wasn't so obviously trying to be casual. He immediately closed his sketchbook.

"You new here?" She asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

"No. Yes... Well it's hard to explain. I'm from Brooklyn."

"Wow. What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking."

"Just business. I'm stationed in D.C. actually, but working on assignment here for a while. Got a small place around the corner. Company picking up the bill. Can't complain."

“Oh, wow. Military?”

“No, not anymore. You caught the ‘stationed’. Old habits die hard, I guess.”

"They really do, sometimes." She sipped again, feeling the conversation getting too chatty, and not wanting to ruin how incredibly pretty this man was, she stood to leave. "Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning then." She raised her cup to him, and he nodded at her.

"Have a good morning." And a smile like the sun shone at her. She couldn't do much but smile back, lips pressed together, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar.

\---

Just like every other morning for the past three weeks, the man was already parked at his regular place when she walked in. For the first time, he acknowledged her entrance with a smile and a nod. She responded in kind, slightly glad he didn't speak. He was making short strokes on his paper, all his concentration on whatever he was drawing. She sat down, and before she could order, the barista dropped her drink on the bar in front of her, nodding at the man behind her. Claire's eyes got wide, and the barista just smiled and shrugged. She turned around to look at the man, and he was still focused on his pad. It seemed like he was avoiding looking at her on purpose.

"Thank you. You didn't have to." Claire finally broke the silence, and he looked up at her, that same sleepy, casual smile on his face as the first time they interacted.

"It's no bother. It's nice seeing a familiar face every day, just wanted to show my appreciation. I mean, not appreciation, just familiarity... Not like we really know each other, it's just... No." He stopped, clearly embarrassed, shook his head and laughed at himself. "It's no bother." He inhaled deeply, his face flushed, looking at his pad again.

"If you ever come in after me, I'll have your black tea waiting for you." Claire offered, and the man exhaled like he'd been holding in that deep breath for ages. The sun was in his smile again, and Claire couldn't help herself. "I'm Claire, by the way."

"Steve. Good to meet you. Officially."

"You too. I don't see many people drinking tea around this time of day... or ever really." She'd been curious for about a week now, but never thought she'd get to pry.

"Just never got the taste for coffee. Gave me serious heart palpitations when I was younger, so I just never got into it."

She tried not to betray her real reaction, scanning over his extremely fit body and wondering how he got so built if he has heart trouble. She knew it wasn't impossible, but he still looked fairly young, and she wondered just how much younger "younger" was.

"Good for you, taking care of yourself." She praised him. He shook his head.

"I know a lot of people who'd disagree that I took care of myself." Steve laughed.

Again, Claire was slightly confused, but didn't show it. She laughed knowingly, though she didn't know a thing. Quickly, and very nearly unnoticeable, he glanced over her attire.

"You're a nurse." He said. It wasn't a question, but it was still polite.

"I am."

"Thank you."

Claire was caught off guard. She turned her head, but kept her eyes on Steve, furrowing her brow jokingly.

"For what?"

"For all the hard work you do. I've seen how rough it is for women in the medical field, especially nurses. Your work is appreciated."

"Wow... Um, thanks. I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry about it. Enjoy your drink." He smiled. He seemed to have gotten more comfortable as the conversation went on, and Claire thought that showed some promise. This was definitely her cue to leave, however, and she took her chance before she got caught up with Steve any longer.

"I will, thank you. Enjoy your day." She stood to leave, and he smiled and nodded at her, very warmly. She almost didn't need that coffee anymore.

\---

The next morning, her coffee was waiting for her again before she could order. Steve was there again, looking _...-studly-_. Claire admitted to herself the description was beyond cheesy, but it was the only appropriate descriptor. He never looked bad, but this morning he looked exceptionally good.

_-Is his shirt tighter? Did he do a thousand push-ups before I walked in here?-_

"Morning, Claire." He greeted her with confidence, which was a definite improvement from the last couple of days.

"Morning, Steve." She grabbed her coffee and made the decision to walk over to him. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all!" His posture straightened out immediately, and he rose to his feet to pull out the chair in front of him for her.

"Whatcha got there?" She gestured to his sketchbook, which was conveniently closed now that she was sitting with him. She took a sip of coffee to retain her casual demeanor.

"Ah-hhh-hhh..." He stammered. He inhaled sharply. He tapped on the book cover. "Just doodles. Keeps my mind sharp."

"Oh, well. You seem to be really... conscious..." She motioned at him, trying to compliment his health awareness without being awkward.

"Ha... Yeah, good one." He shook a finger at her, with an almost disappointed laugh. "Haven't heard that one yet. Original." There was no sarcasm in his voice.

"There's a joke I'm missing here, isn't there?" Claire leaned on the table, put on her best flirty smile to derail him from whatever set him off into Gloomville. It almost worked.

"I hear a lot of unoriginal jokes about my time in the ice almost every day." He crossed his arms, but settled into his seat.

"Jokes... ice...." Claire frowned at him, and as she realised who this Steve in front of her really was, he realised she hadn't known. They began to flail and talk simultaneously.

"You're Captain Am-"  
"You didn't know you weren't-"  
"-erica oh my god I wasn't try-"  
"-making jokes about my-"  
"-ing to, I didn't mean to, I'm so-"  
"-plane wreck and oh Claire I'm so-"  
"-sorry!"

They stared at each other for a moment, and then both began to laugh at the utter absurdity.

"Wow... great way to make an impression, Claire..." Claire belittled herself, now slightly embarrassed.

"No, this is entirely my fault for being a presumptuous idiot, please forgive me for making this weird. Let me make it up to you." He leaned forward, placed a hand on the table near her, and there was that beautiful half smile again.

"Tomorrow morning's drink, and we're even." She joked.

"What about dinner, tonight?" He looked deep into her eyes, unfaltering, and she was locked in place under his stare. She didn't know how she could say no.

"If my shift doesn't go over... It might be late..." She was stalling on an answer, a little in shock that Captain America was asking her on a date.

"Well, if it's alright with you, I could call you a little later... I'm expecting to be working a late night myself. A lot to take care of in Hell's Kitchen." His eyes sparkled at her and she caved.

"Okay. Okay. Yeah."

He grinned and opened a page of his sketchbook to take down her number.

\---

Steve did call late, around 9pm, and Claire was still at her shift. Hell's Kitchen was notorious for surprise patients that required more than an antibiotic or some stitches, and she was currently keeping pressure on the neck of a man in his early 30s who had been punctured in the artery. She wasn't sure he was going to make it, but she sure as hell was going to do everything in her power to try and help him to.

The man was a combination of sobs and sputters as the doctors and nurses worked frantically around him, and Claire's heart raced as she watched his face get paler, and his eyes flutter. She peeled away the gauze on his neck just slightly and could see the bleeding had slowed down in a promising way.

"Come on, we need to bag him!" She cried out, as he gasped harder. Another nurse cleared his airway with a tube and proceeded to pump air into his lungs. "Stay with me..."

\---

The team of doctors and nurses together had managed to save the man, though he almost slipped from them several times. Claire had just finished scrubbing herself clean from all the blood and sweat, and was more than ready to get home. She made her way to the locker room to get changed and be done with her shift. She looked at the time. 11:23pm.

"Shit."

She grabbed for her phone and saw one missed call and one voicemail. She sighed in relief, as she'd made the mistake of giving her number to people in the past who would blow her phone up due to their impatience and unwillingness to listen to her when she said her schedule was unpredictable. She clicked her voicemail on and sighed.

_"Hey Claire, this is Steve. From the coffee shop. Just giving you a call to see if you still want to meet up tonight. I unexpectedly had a long night myself, and I'd love to still treat you out. I know a great 24 hour diner. Let me know. I'll be up. Um. Hope to hear from you. Ah... Yep..." -click-_

Claire was tired. But she was also hungry, and she knew that a diner would be the ultimate in casual outings. She considered the tempting thought of just going home and seeing Steve in the morning, but something was tugging at her. If she was asked, she'd vehemently deny that it was because this was Captain America asking her.

She opened her call log and returned his call. He answered after only three rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey Steve, this is Claire."

"Claire! Hi! How was your night?"

"Oh... Hectic as always. I'm about three hours over my time. I'm exhausted."

"I totally understand. We can schedule for another night, then, so you can get some rest..." Steve offered. Claire had to laugh to herself.

"Nooooo. Let's do that diner. I don't want images of my last patient in my head as I'm trying to sleep. Which one is it?"

"Times Square Diner."

"Oh that's close by. I could walk there. Though maybe I'd better not, this time of night."

"I could come pick you up. If that's alright."

"Sure." Claire smiled as they hung up the phone, and she rushed to get dressed.

\---

Standing safely inside the hospital, Claire gazed out the glass doors, not knowing exactly what to look for, but certain Steve would call upon arrival. What she saw instead was Steve drive up on a motorcycle, wearing a brown leather jacket and jeans that fit too perfectly. She swallowed hard, putting her hand to her chest to calm her speeding heartbeat. She took a deep breath and exited the building as Steve climbed off of his bike.

"Hey there." She said approaching him. He stood smiling, hands on his hips, accentuating his perfect shape.

"I guess you saw me pull up." He looked down, sheepish. "I do have a helmet for you." He met her eyes.

"Great. Let's get to really know each other on this 10 minute ride." She teased him and he grinned, grabbed for the helmet. Claire strapped it on while Steve climbed the motorcycle. She climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, tight.

"You've done this before, I see." He revved the motor. She laughed.

"Once or twice." She could see his half smile, only just, as he pulled out into the street and drove toward the diner.

Claire was rarely in a position to enjoy her surroundings while traveling. She was either on public transportation and keeping an eye on the people around her for any strange behaviours, or behind the wheel herself and watching other cars and traffic signals.

The lights in the buildings almost twinkled as they flew by, and the night wind sent chills up her spine. She could almost pretend most of that wasn't due to being pressed tightly up against Steve’s strong and broad back, her palms stilled against his tight abs. He smelled like clary sage and lavender, which she thought was out of the ordinary, but was there really anything ordinary about this man?

He seemed to always catch the green lights, and laughed to herself, imagining whoever was watching the street cameras made sure Captain America had the right of way. It wasn’t long before he pulled into a parking space at the diner, the motorcycle lurching slightly before coming to a complete stop. Her heart almost flew out of her mouth.

“Wow, that was exhilarating.” She admitted, climbing off of the vehicle. Steve followed, offering to put up her helmet and grinned.

“For me, too.” He was flirting. Or trying to. Claire let it slide.

\---

“So, how was your night?” Claire asked. They’d already been seated and were currently perusing the large menu.

“Hectic. I’m in town on assignment, and the assignment just doesn’t seem to end, no matter how much I accomplish.” Steve sighed, and removed his jacket. Claire took this as a cue, and removed her own tan canvas jacket to reveal the white tank top underneath. Steve averted his eyes and gulped.

“Mmm, yeah I know that feeling. That’s every day at the hospital. Are you like… fighting crime?”

“I’d be lying if I said no. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, but ultimately, it is. I feel silly even saying it. It feels exaggerated.”

“I can see that. But a lot of people fight crime. FBI, CIA, lawyers sometimes.” Claire laughed at herself.

“That is very true.” Steve visibly relaxed. “Well, tell me about your day? Or night…”

“Well it’s past midnight now. I was an assist on a neck puncture. He almost didn’t make it. By the time I left, he still wasn’t coherent enough to tell us how it even happened. Maybe the investigators will find something out soon from what little evidence was collected.”

Steve’s eyes were wide, and when he noticed Claire noticed, he hid his face behind the menu. Claire opened her mouth to inquire about this behaviour when the waitress finally walked up. Claire ordered a strawberry banana milkshake, and Steve a black tea. A few moments of silence passed by.

“Did you know him?” Claire asked. Steve cleared his throat.

“Ah hem, uh what who?”

“The guy with the neck. I’m a nurse, I know how to read people by now. Your expression when I mentioned the patient… Were you involved?”

Steve looked resolved. She had caught him. “No. But… I probably saw it happen. Tonight. Assignment. I’m not supposed to be talking about it but since you already kind of know… We were surveying a group of drug dealers who were getting into deeper crimes. Black market human trafficking kind of stuff. He was one of the bad guys but he was disgusted by where his fellow dealers were taking things. He was kind of one of our inside guys. We were going to hire him and change his identity after this was all over.”

“Well, good for him. I hope he can remember who did this to him.”

“He doesn’t need to. The man is dead. We’re looking out for your patient. My people have an eye on him. Even if he doesn’t remember much, he’s safe. He’ll be safe.” Steve exhaled like he’d just revealed a huge secret and was happy to have it off his shoulders.

“Have you caught the ring leader?”

“I wouldn’t still be here if we had. I’m starting to think my immediate superior is getting irritated at how long this is taking to be honest, but with everything going on here… It’s hard to explain that it’s so widespread that it would take a permanent watch stationed in Hell’s Kitchen to uncover and put a stop to all of this. I think he’s gonna pull me out soon.”

“Hope not too soon. You’d be going back to D.C. right?”

“Yeah.” Steve sighed. The waitress came by with their orders, and for a moment, they were distracted.

Claire took a sip of her milkshake and made the same contented noise she made the first day Steve spoke to her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and she smiled coyly at him, and slid the glass toward him. “You wanna taste?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had a really good milkshake since the '40s. Last one I had, coworker handed to me, from some place called McDonald’s. It definitely did not hit the spot.” Steve looked forlorn, and Claire leaned forward on the table, relaxing her eyes at him.

“Give it a sip. Worst that can happen is you’ll discover this is better than McDonald’s.” Claire pushed it toward him a bit more, and Steve chuckled, grasping the glass.

“Do you mind if I…?” He gestured toward the straw, and Claire shrugged, and sat back with a smile. She figured if she was even considering kissing him at some point, then him sipping from her straw wasn’t an issue.

She wasn’t, however, expecting a simple sip from a milkshake to turn into porn. She watched intently as Steve’s red lips wrapped around the straw, and he held eye contact with her as he slowly tasted the drink. She could see it slide up the straw and enter his mouth, and the second it did, he closed his eyes, continuing to sip. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, and Claire felt it getting hot in the diner. He finally released the straw, a tiny bit of milkshake remained on his bottom lip. A half sigh, half moan escaped his mouth, as his pink tongue swiped across his lip to catch that last bit of milkshake. Claire couldn’t breathe.

“It’s not as good as Carvel, but it’s the best I’ve had in 70 years.” His voice was breathy and suddenly deeper than before. The glass had condensation dripping down the sides as he slid the glass back towards her, and Claire suddenly felt like the glass was exposing her. She bit her lip and nodded. She almost forgot her own name. She stirred the milkshake with the straw, still staring at Steve.

“Good.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. Steve was fully unaware of how deliciously seductive he’d just been, which made this all the more difficult for her. If he’d known, this would have been her cue to invite him home. She debated whether or not she should do it anyway. Steve flagged down the waitress and ordered himself a chocolate milkshake. Claire felt accomplished, and she didn’t know why.

\---

The night had been nearly perfect for a first date. Claire didn’t feel the need to be someone she wasn’t just to impress someone else, and she and Steve were able to just relax, enjoy each other’s company, and awkwardly flirt a little, even if the awkward part was all on Steve. And now they stood in front of her building, saying their good nights, and Claire was trying to figure out how to invite him inside.

“Glad we got to hang out tonight. It was real nice.” Steve said, hands in pockets. Still awkward, still cute.

“Yeah me too. Wish we’d done this sooner, but you know, hectic mornings aren’t always the best to try picking people up. I’d love to do it again, though.”

“Well, how about Friday? Maybe if we’re both available early enough, I can take you somewhere nice.” Steve looked at her with those impossibly blue eyes and she couldn’t hide her smile.

“That sounds good.” They stared at each other for a moment, Steve’s eyes flickered to her lips, and he bit his own. She could see the exact moment he decided to go for it, and he removed his hands from his pockets, moved in close to Claire, placed a hand on her neck, and bent down to give her a light kiss. His lips didn’t move, and Claire wanted to laugh, but she remembered exactly who was kissing her and her breath stilled. She placed a hand on his waist to draw him closer and tried to guide his lips with her own. He followed her movements as best he could, but he still needed a lot of work. Maybe she wouldn’t invite him up after all.

Claire pulled away after several seconds, extremely excited but also a little underwhelmed. It was a strange combination. “I guess I’ll see you at the coffee shop then.” She said. Steve smiled at her like it was his birthday, and he nodded once. He slid a hand down her arm to her hand and lifted her knuckles to his lips and gave them a soft kiss.

“7am, sharp.” He smiled. “Good night, Claire.”

“Good night.” Their fingers lingered as long as possible as he walked toward his bike until they were out of reach. He climbed on, and smiled up at her once more before she entered her building. Steve didn’t drive away until the door to the building shut completely. Claire heaved a deep sigh, trying to figure out where to go from here.

\---

Claire's coffee was ready the next morning, but Steve was absent. Claire was almost disappointed. The barista slid a handwritten note to Claire with a sad smile.

_"Dear Claire,_

_Boss put me on another assignment, but I don't foresee this one taking longer than a couple of days. I've kept detailed reports on my previous one and I'm confident I'll be back in this coffee shop in time for our date Friday. Have a great few days, enjoy the coffee._

_See you soon,_  
_Steve"_

"He could have just texted me." Claire laughed. The barista chuckled.

"He really doesn't seem like the texting type, though." She replied. Claire concurred. She opened a new text, typed out _"Morning, thanks for the coffee :)"_ and attached a photo of herself drinking it.

The quick reply she received surprised her, but left her smiling for the rest of the day.

_":)~~~"_

\---

With Steve gone, there seemed to be an uptick in severely injured patients in the ER, and she was exhausted. She didn't remember things being this bad before he'd shown up, but she quickly realised she really didn't know how long he'd been in the area. Luckily, it was 6pm, and she was on her way home. She was stopped by a fellow nurse as she headed toward the locker room.

"You received some flowers." Kelly said, a big grin on her face.

"What?" Claire laughed, confused. She followed Kelly, who was almost dragging her by the hand, to the bright yellow vase filled with an assortment of different flowers.

"Who is it from?" Kelly prodded. Claire opened the card attached.

"All it says is _'Friday.'_ " Claire responded, smiling.

"What does that mean?" Kelly was far too excited, and Claire just shrugged, smile still on her face, and took the flowers with her to the locker room. She set the vase down on a bench and took a couple of pictures of it, then pulled a flower out of the vase and took one of herself with it, sending them to Steve. She sighed, her stomach tightening with excitement.

She didn't hear from Steve for the rest of the night.

\---

Her coffee was waiting again.

"How did he do this?" Claire asked, happy but suspicious. The barista sighed.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you. He paid for your drinks for the rest of the month. He did that the first day he bought your drink. I don't really know how he expected you to not find out or figure it out eventually. Maybe he figured you'd be better acquainted by the time you found out. ....Are you?"

Claire sipped her coffee, contemplating the question. "Yeah. Yeah I think we are. I don't know how to repay him."

"Yeah. That's why he asked me not to tell you, but here we are. He just said he wanted to make your mornings easier."

"How is he still single?" Claire joked. The barista smiled and shrugged.

"Looks like he might not be single for long." She winked at Claire, and Claire almost choked on her coffee.

"Yeah, um, hmm. Yeah. See ya tomorrow." Claire said, rushing out of the coffee shop. She looked at her phone to see the time and realised it was Thursday.

\---

Claire wondered just how much Steve hated texting, because she hadn't heard from him still since Wednesday and the flowers. They were still thriving on her kitchen counter, and warmth flooded her when she glanced at them. She fiddled with her phone, and decided to send a text again. She didn't want to seem over eager but she didn't want to seem uninterested either. It was late, and she was relaxing at home with a glass of sparkling cider. A cute idea occurred to her, and she decided if Steve could be sappy, she could too.

She poured two glasses out, placing them just so, angled from each other, and snapped a picture of them to him, with the text _"Hope you like apple cider. :)"_

This time, a reply came quick.

 _"Hey Claire. Wish I could call you. Drinks look delicious."_ He included a supremely seductive picture of himself lying in bed, bathed in moonlight. His sheet was up to his collarbone, and it was a pretty close up shot, so he hadn't intended for it to be that sexy, Claire was sure. But it was. She bit her lip, exhaling an amused laugh. She got too curious and checked the location on the photo. Washington D.C. He was probably in his own bed.

She returned with a textless photo of herself, hair tied up into a bun, fresh faced and smiling softly. She held out the phone a little bit on purpose, so he could see she was in a thin, white undershirt.

Several moments passed before a response.

_"Wow... You look better than the drinks."_

_"Hmmm... Then it is a shame you can't call. :)"_

_"Been assigned back to Hell's Kitchen. Current assignment took exactly as long as I expected. More centralized here. More compact. I'll be in town tomorrow afternoon."_

_"Looking forward to our date. What's the dress code?"_

_"Dressed up. You'd make anything look classy though."_

Claire was still amused at Steve's innocent flirting. She decided to snap a few pics to send all at once. She took her hair down, let some hair fall over her eye, and bit down on the pad of her thumb. Second photo was of her bare legs, crossed and pulled up under herself. Third was of her jaw and long neck, having moved the strap of her undershirt over enough to make her look shirtless.

 _"How's this?"_ She added to the photos. By the time she reconsidered sending them, she'd already pressed send. She felt almost naughty teasing him like this, since he'd been so awkward already. She thought for sure he would have been well rounded in the sex department by now, looking the way he looks, being who he is, so she wasn't sure what to make of his behaviour, only that she wanted to keep testing it.

_"Oh... Claire you're so beautiful. Taking my breath away."_

A decent response, romantic but not sexual. Was he being respectful? Did she go too far? Then another photo popped up. Steve's bare chest, sheet now down at his hips instead of pulled all the way up, his fingers just barely pushed under the hem of the sheet. She couldn't tell if he was nude or not, but he definitely made it look that way. Her heart stopped.

She had not gone too far.

_"Wish I was there with you already. Couple of things to take care of in the morning before I head back up there. I can't believe how sexy you are. But let's save the rest for when we can touch. Wanna see you with my own eyes..."_

Claire was impressed. There was promise of future sexual escapades, and soon too, as well as that gentlemanly aura he carried around so easily. She wondered how he smoothed up in just a matter of two days. She wasn't going to complain. She sent one more photo of herself blowing a kiss with a _"Good night, Steve"_ text.

_"Good night, Claire. :)"_

Claire hugged her phone tight to her chest, feeling entirely too giddy for a woman her age. She didn't care.

\---

When Steve arrived to pick Claire up Friday night, she was surprised to see him exit a large black SUV with tinted windows. He smoothed out his suit quickly, and when he looked up, his jaw dropped. Claire wore a floor length, low cut, purple sleeveless dress, with a small blue pendant hanging off her long silver necklace. Her hair was wavy, in a modern retro style, and her lips were a deep red. She held a clutch in her hand that matched her dress, with rose gold accents.

"W-wow." He stammered, then cleared his throat. He reached out for her hand, and she took it, and he let his eyes drink her in. "You look... unbelievable."

"Don't look so bad yourself." Claire flirted, and Steve grinned. He guided her into the car, shut her door for her, then made his way to the driver's seat. He heaved a deep sigh, looking at Claire again, from top to bottom. He looked truly enamoured. Claire felt her face heating up, and Steve must have seen it, because he met her eyes, put on his seat belt, and they took off.

He had Billie Holiday playing soft and low over the speakers, and suddenly everything felt surreal to Claire. Normally, if someone she was dating had any kind of oldies playing, they were trying to impress her in some way, but this was actually Steve's music, what he grew up with. There was no air of pretense. Claire wasn't used to that, and it was nice.

\---

The restaurant was indeed upscale. Steve paid for valet parking, and the host confirmed the reservation when they walked in. Steve had managed to get the nicest and most secluded table in the building, and seeing how the restaurant was full, that was a task. The lights were dim, and two candles flickered in between them. A single rose sat between the candles in a slim vase.

"My friend suggested this place. I've never had Lebanese before, though. She said you wouldn't be disappointed. It's... it's been a while since I've been on a date." Steve laughed, a little embarrassed.

"Well it's been a little while for me too." Claire reassured him, though she figured it had kind of been longer for him. He smiled, clearly appreciating the effort. "So you're an artist?"

"Uh yeah, kind of. I practice a lot. It's very soothing. I don't get to have a lot of quiet in the field I'm in, you know."

"What do you draw?"

"Oh, anything really. Architecture. Still life. Nature. Whatever I see around me."

"Is it something you share?"

"I could. I might. Don't have a lot of people who want to see it, so I don't usually." Steve smiled softly. "What about you? What do you do to calm your mind?"

"Bubble baths. Which just amounts to a lot of aromatherapy. Works wonders. Too many people don't make use of herbs and essential oils, when they could help out so much. I am probably going to get one tomorrow. I wanted one tonight, but, you know, I had plans." She smiled back.

"Something on your mind?" Steve looked slightly concerned.

"A little. Just got told today that starting next week I'm moving to the night shift. I was already doing overtime working into late evening as it is, and they liked my work with the... 'unruly' night patients so much. Apparently I'm good at getting them to not be so rowdy." Claire touched her necklace, and Steve's eyes went straight to her fingers, then quickly back to her face.

"So. No more morning coffee?" He smiled sadly. Claire shifted a little in her chair.

"Well, maybe. Maybe switch to decaf. Maybe I'll have some tea instead. I'll be getting off work in time to make it to the shop at 7 sharp still. Funny how that works. Hmm?" She smiled slyly, and he seemed to relax. That was a first.

"Well that's good. I'd hate to miss out on seeing you every morning." There was that terrible flirting again, but Claire was getting used to it, enjoying it even, now.

"You'll get me at my worst now, instead of fresh faced." Claire joked.

"No I won't. I'll see you at your best, when you've finally gotten time to breathe after working so hard all night for the good of the citizens of this neighbourhood. When you have the time to realise how much you've done to help them. You are so valuable. Don't ever go a day feeling like you're not."

"Steve..." Claire was stunned. "It’s just my job, what I'm supposed to do." She looked down at the table.

"I saw it in you. The hospital did too. Just want you to see it. Because this is a good move for you, even if it feels like your world just got shook up."

"It does feel that way." Claire sighed, pressing a finger to her cheekbone.

“I felt that once before too. Changed my life.”

“I don't know how you did it. This is nothing and it feels so overwhelming.”

"Well, maybe I can draw you up a bubble bath later to help you relax?" Steve's voice dropped a little bit, both in tone and volume. Claire grinned.

Before she could answer, the server came by to take their orders. They started with sambusak and tzaziki, with main courses of branzino for Claire and hangar steak for Steve. Once the server walked away, Steve looked back to Claire softly.

"I have to say Steve, you've upped your game in the last few days. I'm impressed." Claire said.

"Oh... Claire, I'm nervous as all hell. But I really like you. I feel like we have a lot of common ground." Steve admitted easily, his stiff posture almost collapsing with the confession.

Claire reached across the table to grasp Steve's hand. He sighed with a smile, and moved his hand around hers to interlace their fingers, stroking her finger with his thumb. Claire felt her skin prickle at the touch, and she inhaled deeply to keep her cool. She couldn't keep herself from grinning wildly at him, though.

\---

The rest of the dinner went easy, with Steve telling stories about his war buddies, and Claire describing the strangest patients she'd come across, and there had been a lot. It was the most comfortable they'd felt with each other since their first meeting, and felt oddly like they were connected somehow.

Claire linked their arms on the walk to the car, and on the ride back to Steve's temporary stead, his hand rested on her knee, her hand on top of his. They laughed at everything and nothing with the windows down, the wind whipping around them as they made their way down the streets.

Finally, Steve parked in front of an older building, stories reaching into the double digits. It was well kept, though not near pristine. Steve smiled with a sparkle in his eye before exiting the car and quickly making his way around to Claire's side to open her door and help her out. He shut her door and locked the car easily without once letting go of her hand. What looked like a buzzer on the entrance to the building turned out to be a fingerprint scanner.

"There is a doorman who will come answer if a fingerprint doesn't register. Perks of the job." Steve said with a laugh and a shrug.

As they waited for the elevator, Steve moved behind Claire, close but not up against her, and placed his hands on her shoulders, slowly caressing her skin. She leaned back into his touch, into his body, and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of his warmth. He hummed quietly in her ear, and she thought she might lose it right there in the lobby, but the elevator dinged just in time for her to compose herself again.

They entered the lift, and before the doors could shut, Steve casually backed Claire up against the wall and kissed her, one hand on her hip, the other behind her, bracing himself. Claire leaned into the kiss; she could taste his dinner on his lips. The elevator began its ascent, its age jolting their bodies with its movement. Claire laughed softly against Steve's mouth, and he pulled back just a little, leaving their foreheads to touch. Standing so close and being jostled about, their bodies touching in sporadic places and being pulled apart again, over and over, was making Claire heat up. Her breath began to get heavy, and Steve's smile began to fade. With nowhere to look but his eyes, she could see them grow darker with every passing second, and he licked his lips.

The grip he had on her hip tightened a bit and he went in for another kiss, this time he used his tongue. He was still hesitant, but he was trying, really hard. The effort was more than appreciated. Claire had no complaints this time around. She slipped her fingers into his hair, and his thumb stroked her hip bone. He was steadily becoming much better at learning how to follow her guidance.

Just as she pushed herself into his embrace fully, the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. She didn't know how many floors had passed, or how long they'd been there just making out, but Steve stepped away, just one step, turning their make out session into yet again something sweet, and offered her his hand. Claire took it, and she was led down a long hall to where Steve was staying. She didn't remember why they'd agreed on his place, but her anticipation was rising with every passing moment. Steve kissed her hand, then released it, reaching inside his wallet for his passkey. He scanned it, and where the peephole was placed, a retinal scan appeared. The greenish-blue laser searched Steve's face for a moment, then she heard the door unlock.

"This place is really high tech for such an old building." Claire said as they walked into his apartment. It was small, but not like a studio apartment. She could see a dark hallway that led to places yet unseen, but she tried not to notice it too obviously. Steve removed his blazer, and hung it in the front closet, loosening his tie.

"They're trying not to be an eyesore. There are a lot of people here who need anonymity for various reasons. The security is really good. I was pretty impressed with it myself. Water?" Steve pulled down two glasses from his cabinet as he asked.

"Sure." Claire said. Steve filled the glasses with ice and water, and handed Claire a glass. She took a sip and only after the cool liquid touched her tongue did she realise she did need some hydration after that elevator ride. She took another sip for good measure, then walked right up to Steve, took his now half empty glass out of his hand and set it down. Claire tilted her face upwards toward Steve, and blinked slowly at him. Without hesitation, Steve kissed her again, more fervently than before. He placed a hand on her back, the other on her waist, and pressed her against the counter with his full body weight. Claire breathed heavily, and pushed back into him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

The hand on Claire's waist slid down to her thigh, down and behind until Steve had a good grip on her leg, and he very easily lifted her up onto the counter. He broke the kiss and slid her dress up to allow her legs to move freely, stepping between them. Claire further loosened Steve's tie and removed it, then began to unbutton his shirt, holding eye contact with him. Steve's breath was quick and deep as her fingers made their way down his chest. Claire pulled the shirt out from his pants, and pushed it off of his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. She dragged her fingernails across his bare chest, taking in the sight. He was big. She knew this already, but seeing him shirtless like this really allowed her to appreciate just how muscular and strong he was. His torso was hard, and she pressed against his abs with both hands, making him chuckle.

"Enjoying the landscape?" He said, his fingers making their way up and down her hips and thighs. Steve bit his lip, and cautiously moved to unzip her dress. Claire could see he was holding his breath, but she just smiled at him. He swallowed hard, and slid her dress up and off of her, and she held her arms up to assist. Claire was left in only her lavender satin boy shorts, and her heels. Steve guided her legs to wrap around his waist, picked her up, skin upon skin, and walked her to his bedroom.

Steve flipped on the light in the room and placed Claire on his bed, leaning into her until she was on her back. He kissed her mouth, her jaw, her neck, her stomach, gently and with reverence. Claire leaned up on her elbows to watch. His hands trailed down her legs to her shoes and removed them. He then crawled back up over her, hovering, and dipped down to kiss her again. He moved his hand behind her back, making her arch up toward him. Claire reached for his belt, unbuckled it, and unzipped his pants, shoving them off as far as her reach would allow. Steve stood and took them off, sending his shoes and socks with them, and joined Claire on the bed again.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Steve said between kisses. Claire nodded, herself caught up in the moment.

“Believe it.” She said, and rolled them both over so she was on top of him. Steve’s chest rose and fell quite visibly as his eyes scanned her body finally. He hadn’t actually taken a real good look at her since he’d removed her dress, only shy glances. He touched her face, and let his hands trail down her body, down over her shoulders first, then her collarbone, and her breasts. He held his hands on her breasts for a moment, and she stilled, waiting for his next move. He didn’t look sure himself. Then his fingertips brushed her nipples, only just, and it sent a wave through Claire’s skin. She inhaled sharply, and smiled at him, encouraging him to continue.

Steve massaged and rubbed at her nipples for a few more moments, and then sat up and took one into his mouth. Claire moaned loudly, and Steve took this cue to suck lightly. Claire felt like she was on fire as he sucked and licked, then did the same on the other side. She gripped his hair, and he groaned quietly. Steve pulled back, then grabbed Claire’s ass tightly, holding her steady as he kissed her sternum, and dragged his other fingers over her ribs and stomach. His thumb teased the hemline of her underwear, and she moved into his touch. She could feel his erection hard underneath her.

Steve held Claire close, and flipped them over again, Claire back on the bed. He positioned himself between her legs and swiftly removed her panties. His eyes were completely dark now, taking her in completely.

“You are so beautiful.” He said, hand on her thigh, moving downward. He pulled her gently until she was on the edge of the bed, and he was on the floor on his knees between her thighs. He pushed open her legs and took a deep breath in, and before Claire could blink, Steve’s tongue was on her, his hands under her to hold her steady. She cried out at the sensation. It didn’t take him long to focus his attention on her clit, and he sucked her in, gently, but determined, flicking with his tongue every few seconds. This forced a slow build of her oncoming climax, excruciatingly enjoyable.

Steve slid a finger inside of Claire, and then another, and she arched into his touch. He was careful and controlled as he explored. Claire’s entire body began to tingle, and she grabbed Steve’s hair, pushing herself into his face. Steve moaned into her, and that was the final push.

“Steve, I’m gonna come, please don’t stop…” She was loud, but she didn’t care. She almost wanted the world to know what was happening at that moment. Finally, her release came in waves, her body shook, and her words were unintelligible, mostly containing positive affirmations. Steve pulled back only a little to lick her up and kiss her thighs until she came down from her orgasm.

Claire tapped at Steve’s forehead when she became too sensitive, still barely able to move. Steve crawled up next to her and held her close, his hardness pressing into her leg. She snaked her hand down into his grey boxer briefs to grip him firmly and began to slide her hand up and down his length. She watched him closely as his shiny, red lips fell open, and his eyes closed. Tiny sounds came from deep in his chest as she continued stroking, and he finally turned onto his back.

Claire had a bit more strength now, seeing how she was affecting Steve, and she moved closer to him, draped a leg over his, and swiped her thumb over the head of his cock. Steve let out a loud groan, and Claire did it again, only to see Steve’s head lift, his eyes still closed, and watched his tongue lick at his own lips. Claire leaned down and kissed Steve, tasted herself on his mouth, and felt herself getting hot again. His hand was on her neck, and when she pulled away from the kiss, his grasp held her face close to his. He breathed on her as she worked at him for a little while longer. When she pulled her hand out of his underwear, he almost mewled in protest.

“Do you have any condoms?” Claire asked, and suddenly Steve’s eyes shot open.

“Oh no. Oh no…” Steve was clearly distressed, and he sat up, looking around, for what, Claire didn’t know. “Fuck.”

“Oh. That’s a no then?” She smirked.

“No. No. Dammit. I don’t… I don’t do this. So I don’t need them. Look we don’t have to do anything else, I’m so sorry, I messed-”

“Steve?” Claire was still smirking. “I work at a hospital. I came prepared, just in case.”

“You did?” Claire had never seen Steve smile this big. “Where, I can go get them?”

“My clutch, it’s in the kitchen.” Claire said. Steve and his tented underwear ran out and back in less than 5 seconds, returning with clutch in hand. Claire took it, and retrieved the assortment of sizes and functions she’d grabbed on her way out from work that evening. “I didn’t know what size…” She said spreading them out on the bed. Steve sat next to her, staring.

“I don’t know either.” He said. She squinted at him.

“Okay… Well… What did you use the last time?” She asked, trying to get an idea.

“I… I was in a long term relationship last time. Don’t think we ever used one.” Steve said, his face turning red. Claire nodded.

“Well. Come here.” Claire said, and Steve furrowed his brow. She smiled, pressed a hand to his chest to lay him down, and hovered over him, removing his boxer briefs. She wrapped her hand around him again, both reinvigorating him and sizing him up. “This large should be fine.” She grabbed one, tore it open and unrolled it onto him. She could see he was holding his breath again. “Relax.” She soothed. “How do you want to do this? Me on top? You on top? Sideways, backwards?” She joked. He grabbed her and put her on her back again.

“This way. So I can see you.” Steve pushed one of her legs up, licked his fingers, and slicked them over her opening. She was already wet again, and he grinned, then slowly pushed inside of her. Claire sighed, feeling herself filled up, and she began to rock up to meet him. They matched their rhythm, hips grinding together with fervour. “Wow.” Steve said in a hush, sliding in and out of Claire with ease.

Steve was still gripping the underside of Claire’s knee, and she wrapped her other leg around his waist for more leverage. He bit his lip, switching between open and closed eyes, watching her face closely when he could. Claire felt herself coming closer to another orgasm due to the friction Steve was causing, and her breath caught in her throat.

“Steve….” Claire’s hands were on Steve’s shoulder blades, pulling him close to her. He leaned in and took her ear in his mouth, lightly dragging his teeth over it, and pressed a kiss right where her jaw and neck met.

“Come for me again, I’m so close Claire…” He whispered in her ear, then looked her in the eyes, and nodded, speeding up his thrusts, and she pushed against him to quicken her climax. Within seconds, her vision went white, convulsions spilling through her again. She heard Steve grunt deeply, and his thrusts became staggered, the rhythm undoing itself. He was sweating, his face was red, and his mouth hung open. He finally let out a huge sigh, and Claire followed suit as he released her leg.

Steve didn’t move for several seconds, seemingly not wanting to put any distance between them, but he finally pulled out, and fell on his back, chest heaving. Claire turned her head to look at him with a big smile, and he was already smiling back at her. He quickly removed and disposed of the condom, and pulled Claire close to him, wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her softly on the lips.

They were quiet for several moments, just laying together in the room, naked and bathed by the bedroom light above. The room may have been silent, but Claire’s mind was not. After coming down from her intense orgasms, realising they’d been at it for about an hour, and remembering how Steve was actually not great at kissing until they’d gotten down and dirty, Claire couldn’t help but wonder what had happened. And she was too tired to remember to use her filter.

“Steve?”

“Yeah, Claire?”

“What just happened?”

“Uh… You’re not serious are you?” Steve suddenly looked worried.

“No, no, I mean I’m fully aware we just had awesome sex,” She assured him. “I’m just… well when we kissed for the first time after the diner, you seemed hesitant, which led to a not so great kiss. And even tonight, a few times leading up to this, it was better, but still like… you’re inexperienced kind of? But then we got in here and… Steve, you got me off twice. It was fantastic. I’ve been laying here the last couple of minutes just replaying it in my head and ….wow. So what happened?”

Steve stared at Claire, confusion and pride on his face. “I was fantastic? That’s ...thanks?”

“I’m sorry, it was just so sudden. That’s not just fast learning.”

Steve laughed. “Oh. I’m not going to be presumptuous this time, but are you asking if the serum speeds up my brain function too? It did, in a way. But this isn’t a result of that, I don’t think. I’d probably give the credit to my ex.” He kissed Claire on the forehead, and pulled away from her. “Do you want to stay tonight?” He sat up.

“Yeah, if that’s okay with you.” Claire sat up too. Steve smiled and pulled back the blankets on the bed for her, and she crawled in.

“Of course it is. Are you working tomorrow?” Steve shut off the light, and the room became dark except for the outside lights. He climbed into bed next to her and pulled her close again.

“I’m off tomorrow.” Claire said quietly. “But I’m on call.”

“Hmm. Good. I’ll be working tomorrow but my morning is free.” Steve squeezed her, snuggled his nose into her hair, and kissed her again. “Let’s get some rest while we can, hmm?”

“Mmm, yeah ok.” Claire wanted answers, but she also was very exhausted. They were fast asleep in no time.

\---

It was almost 8:30am. Claire stretched, the sun shining in on her from the windows. She hadn't slept this late in ages. It was only then she realised all she had to wear was her dress, and she regretted not taking Steve back to her place.

Steve.

She looked beside her, and the bed was empty. Claire sighed, and decided to get a quick shower. She checked her phone before getting out of bed to make sure she didn't have any calls from the hospital. She didn't, but there was a text from Steve.

_"Went out for morning run and tea. Hopefully I'll be back before you wake. If not, make yourself at home."_

Claire smiled and ran to the shower.

\---

Fresh, clean, wrapped up in a huge towel, and now smelling like Steve, Claire sat at the counter in the kitchen. She found a sketch book sitting on Steve's coffee table and was looking through it when Steve walked in.

"Morning." Steve said with a grin and full hands. He passed her a steaming cup of coffee, and placed his current sketch book on the corner of the counter. "I see you found one of my other books."

"Yeah, this is really amazing stuff. That's Stark Tower... it looks like what they worked off of to build the thing." She flipped through some pages to one with several drawings of a young man in an Army uniform. "And him, wow, he's beautiful. You didn't mention you could do portraits."

"Yeah. I'm still working on faces. Everyone's faces are different so it's always a learning process." Steve explained, a finger tracing over the edges of the page. Claire noticed Steve's demeanor had changed.

"Who is he?"

"Bucky. My ...best friend. Lost him in the war."

"Oh Steve. Yeah, I recognise him now. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It was a long time ago, you know? There's always going to be tragedy and loss in war." Steve had the words memorised but his face betrayed him. She wondered if anyone ever believed him when he said it. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug. He held her tight for a moment, then released her with a smile.

"He's really beautiful. You captured him perfectly."

"It's how I remember him. Always smiling, even though he was a little broken. We both were, but we had each other. It was all we needed for a while."

"You really loved him, huh?" Claire said. She watched Steve's face as he looked up at her like a deer caught in headlights.

"Are people these days more free with their emotions or are you asking me something else entirely?" Steve asked, his throat tight.

"I'm asking you something else entirely." She said. Steve's eyes bounced from the floor back to Claire several times before he exhaled.

"That's my ex. He's my ex." Steve said, his hands on his hips. "I don't know what else to say."

"He's the one you learned how to be so good in bed from?" Claire asked, impressed. Steve stared at her.

"Yeah..." He looked confused again. "You're alright with this?"

"We all have exes, Steve."

Steve looked relieved, and reached out for another hug. He inhaled deeply and laughed.

"You used my body oil." He noted.

"Yeah, because I have never met a man who had body oil. I take advantage when I can." She teased.

"Sorry I didn't get to draw that bubble bath for you. And maybe I should take you home to get some clothes..." He pointed out the towel and laughed.

"Clothes would be great! Didn't think that one through, did I?"

"Neither did I. Only thought as far as getting you out of them." He laughed again. "Come on, I'll take you home. I gotta be at work in a couple of hours."

"Um..." Claire began as she got back into her dress from the night before. "So... how come our first kiss was so stiff?"

Steve laughed. "Like I said, I was nervous. I never did too well with dames. Ladies... Buck was good to me but he was always in the lead. The couple of years while we were separated, I fell for this amazing woman, Peggy, but even then she was making the moves, not me. And I went in the ice before we could ever make anything of it. So yeah, I've got trouble with ladies. And I didn't want to mess things up with you. It was nerves." Steve passed Claire his current sketch book after she'd gotten dressed, and waited.

"What's this?" She asked, flipping through the pages. Sketches of a nearby park, a sleeping dog, the coffee shop. The inside of the coffee shop. The bar at the coffee shop with a woman sitting there, drinking her coffee. Claire gulped.

"Hope you don't find this weird. From the first day I saw you, I thought you were just so stunning." He said, as she flipped the page again to find a perfect rendering of her smiling face, her hair falling slightly into her eye, coffee cup in hand. Claire felt her eyes begin to well up.

"You drew me?"

"I was too scared to talk to you for weeks. I wanted to remember you if I never saw you again. I never dreamed we'd be here, where we are now. Even if this is just something casual... I want you to know it means a lot to me. Not like in any sort of obligatory way or anything!" Steve was tripping over his words again, and she again saw the shy person trapped inside that golden wrapping that she saw the first day they met.

"It's okay. It's... beautiful." She touched the page, in awe still of even just the idea that he'd been sketching her all those weeks.

"Do you want to keep it?" Steve's eyes lit up, and the purity in him took her breath away.

"I don't want to take this from you. Can I have a copy or something?" She laughed. Steve gently took the sketchbook from her, removed the page, and grabbed a pen.

 _"To the woman who makes the sun rise, my Claire. Yours, Steve."_ He read aloud to her after he'd finished writing. She took the page and held it to her chest. He kissed her hand, and grabbed his keys. "Come on, let's get out of here." Claire hurried to gather her shoes and clutch, and grabbed Steve’s hand on the way out of the door. They both smiled at each other like no one else existed in that moment.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This got way out of hand. Title from 'Miracle Goodnight' by David Bowie which helped get me through this. This is probably the longest sex scene I've ever written. Free me.


End file.
